SHOPPER QUESTION: I hear prebiotics are as important as, if not more important than, probiotics. How do I get them?
“Prebiotics are beneficial plant fibers that nourish the bacteria already in your large bowel and colon (prebiotics are commonly thought of as the food that fuels probiotics). While you can get prebiotics in abundance from certain foods, such as chicory root, dandelion greens and raw onion, there are supplements called fructooligosaccharides available as well.
"It’s also a good idea to check with your health practitioner about the state of your gut. In some cases, you don’t want to be taking a lot of prebiotics and probiotics. For instance, for those suffering from small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (or SIBO) prebiotics and probiotics can make symptoms, such as bloating, worse.”
—Holly Lucille, ND, RN, owner of The Body Well in West Hollywood, California
